Why Do So Many New Writers Have A “Real” Job?

Sadly, it has become increasingly more difficult for writers to make
a living, writing. If you wander the bookshelves at your local bookstore a
large group of the people responsible for the books you enjoy earn their livelihood
with another job, besides writing. In the old days, the legends like Heinlein,
Bradbury, Asimov, Clarke were able to slip into writing by crafting short stories.
In the good ol’ days, short stories paid enough that a writer could survive
long enough to craft their first novel.